Photo by Heather Miki
Sarah Matsui is a 2025–2026 Steinbeck Fellow, a 2026 Kenyon Review Developmental Editing Fellow in Nonfiction, and the winner of the Sewanee Review Nonfiction Contest. Her work has appeared in ZYZZYVA, The Offing, The Sewanee Review, Pleiades, Beloit Poetry Journal, The Southern Review, and Jacobin Magazine.
She has received support from the Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Marble House Project, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, Periplus with Nicole Chung, the San Francisco Foundation / Nomadic Literary Award in Poetry, and the Bread Loaf Katharine Bakeless Nason Award.
She lives in San Francisco and is currently at work on her debut essay collection.
Select Writing
Essays
“Care Directive,”ZYZZYVA, No. 132, Summer 2026
“Notes on My Grandpa’s Senninbari,”The Offing, June 2025
“Hello, Boar—You Must Be Hungry,”The Southern Review, Vol. 60, No. 3, Summer 2024
“Arcade Neophytes,” Fractured Lit Anthology Contest Winner, 2022
“Fifth Grader Mandarin Proficiency,”The Sewanee Review, Vol. CXXX, No. 1, Winter 2022 – Nonfiction Contest Winner
Poems
“Kumquat Taxonomy,” Beloit Poetry Journal, Vol. 74, No. 1-2, Fall 2025
“As He Ages,” Pleiades, Vol. 44, No. 1, Spring 2024
“Inventory” and “Please Give Your Fundraiser a Title—,” The Seventh Wave, Issue 16, 2023
“Accumulation,” Bernice Bing: Open Call, Asian Art Museum, 2023
Misc.
Learning from Counternarratives in Teach For America, published by Peter Lang. Featured in NPR Code Switch, Jacobin Magazine, Rethinking Schools Magazine
Ghostwritten and edited pieces in Forbes, pv magazine USA, Greentech Media, Renewable Energy World
Solo performance play reviewed in The Munro Review, The Munro Review’s Top 20 Cultural Events of 2020, Kings River Life, Fresno Rogue Festival, Lighthouse Fellowship
Recognitions & Support
2026
The Kenyon Review Developmental Editing Fellowship in Nonfiction
Marble House Project Residency
2025
2025–2026 Steinbeck Fellowship
Vermont Studio Center Fellowship
Periplus Fellowship with Nicole Chung
San Francisco Foundation / Nomadic Literary Award in Poetry
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Christina Chiu AAPI Writers Fellowship
Finalist for The Kenyon Review Developmental Editing Fellowship in Nonfiction and Poetry
Longlist for the Granum Prize
2024
2024–2025 Friends of the San Francisco Public Library Brown Handler Writer’s Residency
Finalist for The Kenyon Review Poetry Contest judged by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Finalist for The Kenyon Review Developmental Editing Fellowship in Nonfiction
Semifinalist for the Beloit Poetry Journal Adrienne Rich Award judged by Marilyn Chin
Longlist for the Momus Critical Writing Fellowship
Longlist for Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Nonfiction Contest
2023
Bread Loaf Katharine Bakeless Nason Contributor Award in Nonfiction
Zellerbach Award
The Ruby Residency
Finalist for the New Letters Poetry Contest judged by Cortney Charleston
Finalist for the Fugue Prose Contest judged by Lidia Yuknavitch
Notable Essay in The Best American Essays edited by Vivian Gornick
2022
Winner of Fractured Lit Anthology Contest judged by Deesha Philyaw
Rooted & Written Fellowship
Longleaf Writers Conference Scholar
Unlock Her Potential Mentee with Marya Spence
2021
Winner of The Sewanee Review Nonfiction Contest judged by Stephanie Danler
Tin House Scholar
Lighthouse Fellowship Runner-Up judged by Amitava Kumar
San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Artists Grant
Theatre Bay Area Grant
Gotham Writers Manuscript-to-Market Scholarship
A Public Space Scholarship
2019
Kearny Street Workshop Fellowship with Tongo Eisen-Martin, Elaine Castillo, Marga Gomez
2016
Rethinking Schools Magazine’s “Our Picks for Books for Social Justice Teaching: Policy”
Contact
Questions or comments? sarahkmatsui [at] gmail.com